Ventilating ceiling and panel therefor



May 24, 1966 K. c. OLSON 3,252,399

VENTILATING CEILING AND PANEL THEREFOR Filed Jan. 13, 1964 Inven zor jzern C 0150?? United States Patent Ofihce 3,252,399 Patented May 24, 1966 3,252,399 VENTILATIN G CEILING AND PANEL THEREFOR Kern C. Olson, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Wood Conversion Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 337,212 13 Claims. (C1. 98-40) The present invention relates to ventilating ceilings and the like and panels or boards therefor.

In those installations wherein a plenum chamber above a ceiling delivers air through the ceiling to the space below, it is known to provide ventilating openings 1n the ceiling and means to valve the openings. When the ceiling is formed of a plurality of individual rectangular panels suitably supported on hangers so that the passage of air past the edges of the panels is prevented, the panels are provided with openings and valves therefor.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a ventilating valved panel suitable, in particular, for assembly of a plurality thereof to provide a ventilating ceiling.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide a longitudinally slidable valve housed within the facial boundaries of the panel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a valve which in closing position minimizes leakage around the valve and through the valve-closed opening.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for constructing a ventilating ceiling, a combination of such a valved ventilating panel, mounting means for each panel, and sealing means between the edges of the panel and the mounting means.

Other and ancillary objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the description and explanation below.

The invention provides in a panel an alined series of ventilating openings for passage of air through the panel, and a slide valve therefor. The slide valve is housed within the panel at the hidden face of the panel and in a channel which limits the valve slide to longitudinal movement. The channel flares inwardly from said face to retain the slide valve. The slide valve and the bottom of the channel are at least as wide as the width of the alined ventilating openings valved thereby. Preferably, the channel and the slide valve are wider than the said widths of the openings in the panels so that equal sized and preferably over-sized openings may be provided in the slide valve and so that the slide valve extends beyond the sides of the openings in the panel. 7

The invention in its various aspects is explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of the exposed face of a ceiling embodying'the panels and the preferred locations of the openings.

FIG. 2 is a view showing supporting runners for the panels and illustrating two crossing supports positioned for union with a mounted runner.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2 after union of the three parts shown.

ways of mounting ceiling panels. It is referred to as the lay-in method, because the panels rest on horizontal flanges in such a manner that each panel may be elevated and removed from its functioning position, and again layed in place. This suspension system uses a series of parallel inverted T-shaped runners 10 which provide horizontal supporting flanges 12 and 14, carried by a vertical web 16. In the space between adjacent runners 10 there are crossing supports 18 having a vertical web 20 and terminal horizontal flanges 22 and 24, as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flanges form a rectangular ledge for a panel P, the ledge comprising in the clockwise direction (looking down in FIG. 1) the flanges 12, 24, 14 and 22.

The crossing supports 18 are secured to the runners 10 by suitable means. One way is to provide a taband-slot connection, such that a slot 26 in a runner 10 receives a tab 20' at one end of a vertical web 20 of a crossing support 18 at one side of runner 10, and also a tab 20 of another support 18 on the other sideof the runner lit. FIG. 2 shows the parts in positions about to be assembled, and FIG. 3 shows partly in cross-section the parts as assembled. Tabs 24? and 20" have struck out springy detents 28 to lock the tabs in place. Flanges 22 and 24 are shorter than the vertical web 20 so as to abut flush with flanges 12 and 14 as shown in FIG. 3.

Panel P is shown in FIG. 1 as having elongated openings 30 through the panel for passage of air therethrough from a plenum chamber above the ceiling formed by a plurality of panels P dropped onto the rectangular ledges formed by the runners 10 and crossing supports 18. To prevent leakage around the edges of the panels, spaceclosing sealing means may be provided in a variety of forms as set forth in my cofiled application Serial No. 337,287. A suitable means is a ribbon of resilient foam 32 carried by the vertical webs 16 and 20, which foam has a flexible sealing skin 34. Preferably, the foam ribbon has a cured exposed face 34 and preferably it is located below the bottom of slot 26. The foam ribbons are omitted in FIG. 3 to simplify the intended showing.

The ventilating openings 30 are preferably arranged to facilitate construction and operation of means to valve them and, furthermore, are arranged for an aesthetic effect. In consequence, there, are two alined series 36 of elongated slots 30 through the panel, the series being close to the supporting flanges 12 and 14 for the panels on the two long sides when the panel P is rectangular.

On the upper side of the panel P over each series 36 is a shallow channel 38 cut into the face and having an opening width greater than the width of the slots 30. The channel is undercut on both sides as shown at 40 and 40 to retain an elongated flat metal strip 42 which is the valve. The valve strip 42 has slots 44 (FIG. 4) arranged to open all the slots 30 and also to close all the slots. In at least one location there is provided one or more portions of the valve always available in the full open and full closed positions, which portions have a small hole 46 to be engaged by a pick or the like to move the valve in its channel from the underside of the ceiling.

Merely as an example to illustrate the ease of the valving operation, the following dimensions are given:

The valve 42 is wider than slots 30, being /2-inch wide and .O-inch thick. The channel 38 is .094-inch deep and .531-inch wide at the bottom with a vertical rise of .OZO-inch forming a. rectangular pathway for the valve 42. Above the pathway the channel sides 40 and 40' taper at 3 an angle of 35 with the bottom of the channel. The channel opening is at least as wide as the slots 30, but narrower than the width of valve 42. As shown, the channel opening is )g -inch wide. The slots 30 in the illustrative panel P are Eg -inch wide and l /s-inches long, being spaced apart on centers of 6 inches.

It is noted that the above dimensions provide a lateral clearance of .031-inch and a vertical clearance of at least .0O75-inch for the valve 42 in its rectangular channel, for easy insertion and sliding of the valve. Because of this lateral clearance, the slots 44 in the valve 42 are sufficiently wider than the slots St) in the panel, being ;-inch so that the lateral edges of the slots 44 do not cover edges of the slots 30.

It is to be understood that the figures above given are not critical in any respect. provide a durable valving structure in such a panel, and they are such that the sides of the channel hold the valve in substantially sealing contact with the bottom of the channel.

By the structure described, it is possible to stack and ship panels each equipped with its valve or valves because the valves do not project beyond the face of the panel and, as shown, are inwardly of the face of the panel. When so shipped there is no need for the operator who is constructing a ceiling to equip a panel with a valve. However, a valve may be easily removed and replaced by such an operator, as when it is necessary to cut a panel shipped with a valve.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to or by the illustrative embodiments and their given dimensions, and that numerous departures and modifications are contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A ventilating board adapted for use in a ceiling by placement in and support by a suspension grid, said board having in said ceiling a hidden back and an exposable face portion through which to ventilate from said back, a channel in said back at a location for ventilating through said face portion and a slide valve slidable in said channel and having at least one ventilating opening therein for the hereinafter-mentioned opening in the board, the sides of said. channel being undercut and forming a retaining pathway for said slide valve limiting the valve to longitudinal sliding movement, said board having in said face portion at least one ventilating opening to be valved by said slide valve extending from the bottom of the channel to said opposite face portion.

2. A board according to claim 1 in which said slide valve is located wholly within said channel.

3. A board according to claim 1 in which said slide valve is located Wholly within said channel with the exposed face of the valve inwardly from said back of the board.

4. A board according to claim 1 in which said slide valve has a portion normally visible at said face portion through said opening and at least one small hole in said visible valve portion for engagement by means to move the valve.

5. A ventilating board adapted for use in a ceiling by placement in and support by a suspension grid, said board having in said ceiling a hidden back and an exposable face portion through which to ventilate from said back, a channel in said back at a location for ventilating through said face portion, and a slide valve slidable in said channel and having at least one ventilating opening therein for a hereinafter-mentioned opening in the board, the sides of said channel being undercut and forming a retaining pathway for said slide valve limiting the valve to longitudinal sliding movement, said board having an alined series of ventilating openings through the board extending from the bottom of the channel to said exposable face of the board, said slide valve having a portion thereof visible through said board from said exposable face portion in all positions of the valve, and means in said visible valve They have been chosen to portion for engagement from said face portion to move the valve, and said channel extending over at least a portion of said series of alined openings.

6. A board according to claim 5 in which said board is rectangular and has two alined series of said openings each being parallel and close to but inwardly from a long edge of the board, and in which a said channel extends over at least a portion of at least one of said series.

7. A rectangular board having an alined series of ventilating openings therethrough, one face of the board having an inwardly flaring channel extending over at least a portion of said series, said channel having a channel bottom wider than the width of said alined openings in said board, and a slide valve in said channel having a width greater than said width of said alined openings in said board and greater than the width of the channel opening, said valve having openings therein for valving the openings in the board.

8. A board according to claim 7 in which the openings in the slide valve are at least as large as the openings in the board and positionable fully to close and to selected degrees to open passage through substantially all of the openings in the board.

9. A rectangular board having an alined series of ventilating openings therethrough, one face of the board having an inwardly flaring channel extendin over at least a portion of said series, said channel being undercut at its channel sides and having a channel bottom at least as wide as the width of said openings, and a slide valve in said channel resting on said channel bottom, said valve having a width at least as wide as the width of said openings, and said valve having openings therein for valving the openings in the board.

10. A board according to claim 9 in which the relative arrangements of the openings in the valve and in the board are such as to permit the valve both to close and to selected degrees to open passage through substantially all of the openings in the board.

11. In a ventilating ceiling having a plenum chamber above it, a board having an alined series of ventilating openings therethrough of uniform dimensions across the direction of alinement, mounting means for said board, said means having horizontal flanges supporting at least opposite edges of the board, gasketing means between the edges of the board and the adjacent portions of the mounting means, said board having an elongated channel into the body of the board opening to the plenum chamber and overlying said alined ventilating openings, said channel having a bottom wider than the said width of said openings, and a channel opening narrower than the width of the channel bottom, a valve strip slidable in said channel on the bottom thereof with lateral and vertical clearance sufiicient to permit manual sliding of the valve strip longitudinally and insuflicient to permit appreciable lateral and vertical movement of the valve strip in the channel, said valve strip having openings therein located to register with openings in the board and on movement of the valve strip to close openings in the board and to selected degrees to open passage through said openings.

12. In a ventilating ceiling having a plenum chamber above it, a board having an alined series of ventilating openings therethrough of uniform dimensions across the direction of alinement, mounting means for said board, said means having horizontal flanges supporting at least opposite edges of the board and vertical webs extending upwardly from said horizontal flanges, gasketing means between the edges of the board and said vertical webs of the mounting means, said board having an elongated channel into the body of the board opening to the plenum chamber and overlying said alined ventilating openings, said channel having a bottom wider than the said width of said openings, and a channel opening narrower than the width of the channel bottom, a valve strip slidable in said channel on the bottom thereof with lateral and vertical clearance suflicient to permit manual sliding of the valve strip longitudinally and insuflicient to permit appre- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,781,557 2/1957 Ericson 98-40 2,807,993 10/1957 Ericson 98-40 2,920,357 1/ 1960 Ericson 98-40 3,101,661 7/ 1963 Bibb 98-40 WILLIAM F. ODEA, "Primary Examiner. JOHN F. OCONNOR, Examiner. 

1. A VENTILATING BOARD ADAPTED FOR USE IN A CEILING BY PLACEMENT IN AND SUPPORT BY A SUSPENSION GRID, SAID BOARD HAVING IN SAID CEILING A HIDDEN BACK AND AN EXPOSABLE FACE PORTION THROUGH WHICH TO VENTILATE FROM BACK, A CHANNEL IN SAID BACK AT A LOCATION FOR VENTILATING THROUGH SAID FACE PORTION AND A SLIDE VALVE SLIDABLE IN SAID CHANNEL AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE VENTILATING OPENING THEREIN FOR THE HEREINAFTER-MENTIONED OPENING IN THE BOARD, THE SIDES OF SAID CHANNEL BEING UNDERCUT AND FORMING A RETAINING PATHWAY FOR SAID SLIDE VALVE LIMITING THE VALVE TO LONGITUDINAL SLIDING MOVEMENT, SAID BOARD HAVING IN SAID FACE PORTION AT LEAST ONE VENTILATING OPENING TO BE VALVED BY SAID SLIDE VALVE EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CHANNEL TO SAID OPPOSITE FACE PORTION. 